


An Act of Faith

by Buffyworldbuilder, lateVMlover (Buffyworldbuilder)



Series: Atonements and Fresh Starts [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:13:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24531346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/lateVMlover
Summary: Faith is in prison and gets a new cellmate named Natalie. She doesn't know that her new roommate is the Black Widow, who has been sent to decide if she is redeemable, or should she be put down so another slayer can be called to guard the hellmouth? This is a companion piece to "A Brother's Love." It also focuses on Xander and Captain America working on the hellmouth in Buffy's absence.
Series: Atonements and Fresh Starts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766362
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own BTVS or any Marvel characters.

Chapter 1: The Cell Mate

***** _California State Prison*****_

Faith opened her eyes a few minutes before the lights would come on. It was the same every day. Lights on at six. Breakfast at seven. Yard time at eight. Work details from nine to eleven. Lunch served from eleven to noon. Nearly every hour was scheduled. On Sundays, they would have a movie night if there were no fights in the yard. Faith never thought she would look forward to watching a movie that might've been out for years. Never before could she sit still long enough to watch a movie. Yet in there, anything that helped break up the monotony was welcome. She even went to chapel on Sundays just to hear music. Oh, how everyone who ever knew her would laugh if they could see her now.

The big bad dark slayer was a model prisoner who read a Bible once a week. She would do extra work detail to get someone's saved chocolate pudding. The underworld used to fear her coming. Now she couldn't scare away the mouse that kept running through her cell.

That afternoon, though, something happened that was not according to schedule. She went to her cell after lunch and saw a woman on the bottom bed.

"Who the hell are you?" Faith asked suspiciously. It was not unusual for someone to try to steal from a fellow inmate. However, Faith had kicked enough asses her first month there that most everyone left her and her things alone. Thanks to Angel always putting money on her books, she had more than many.

The redhead girl raised cool, assessing eyes to Faith, who instantly sensed the predator in front of her. Automatically, she stepped back into a fighting stance.

"I won't ask you again? Where the fuck is my cellmate Tina? Why are you on her bed?" Faith demanded.

The woman gave a smile as she stood. "Oh, sorry. They told me that this was my cell. Your cellmate was moved somewhere else," the woman said. "I'm Natalie."

Faith waited to see if the woman would attack—her slayer was on high alert. When she made no move, Faith relaxed. "Oh. I'm Faith," she said.

"Nice to meet you," Natalie said. She had decided that the best approach to getting passed this slayer's defenses wasn't to be tough but to be vulnerable. The slayers were supposed to be protectors. If this woman was worth saving at all, her instinct would be to protect Natalie.

"You probably shouldn't say that to anyone in here," Faith said with a smirk.

Natalie looked scared. "Oh? I don't want to make anyone mad. I've heard it can get kind of bad in here," she said.

Faith gave her a surprised look. "Aren't you a fighter?" Faith asked.

Natalie looked startled. "Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Because that's the vibe you give off," Faith said.

"Really?" Natalie said in surprise. Then she laughed. "I'm a dance teacher actually. I could _dance_ my way out of a fight!"

Faith gave her a skeptical look but didn't argue. Instead, she asked, "Why are you in here?"

"Bad checks," Natalie said with a sheepish grin.

"No shitting? They throw people in jail for that?" she asked.

"My lawyer told me it's the number one reason women are incarcerated," Natalie shared.

"Lehane," a voice called out. "Get your ass to the laundry room."

"Gotta jet. Talk later," Faith said.

A few hours later, it was chow time. She found her new cellmate protesting as Big Barb stole her cookie.

"Hey! That's mine!" Natalie protested, trying to take it back.

Big Barb, though, was six feet and towered over the much shorter woman. Not to mention, she was more than twice her width. She simply held the cookie up.

"If you can take it from me, you can have it," Big Barb said with a smirk.

Faith debated on whether or not she should interfere. However, a fight over a cookie didn't seem like a good enough reason to get into it with another inmate.

Then Natalie decided to stand her ground. She punched the much larger woman in her ample stomach, causing her to bend over.

Faith moved fast before things could get out of hand. Grabbing the cookie off her own tray, she put her hand on Big Barb's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? Here, take my cookie, too. My roommate her is too green to know how things work around here," Faith said to her.

The larger woman breathed heavily and glared at Natalie. Then she jerked the cookie out of Faith's hand and stomped away.

"Are you stupid?" Faith said to Natalie as she sat down next to her.

"My friend told me that I should never let myself be a victim, or I'll always be targeted. Her brother did some time, so I just thought I'd act tough," Natalie said.

"Well, acting tough is one thing. Punching someone in the stomach over such a stupid thing is just dumb," Faith said in disgust.

Natalie gave her a sheepish smile. "I thought it was a good idea at the time," she said.

"Better think smarter or you're going to get hurt a lot in here," Faith advised. "How long you got?"

"A year," Natalie said.

"That's not bad at all. You could be out in six if you can stay out of trouble," Faith said with a pointed look.

"So why are you here?" Natalie asked as she took a bite of her dinner and grimaced in distaste.

"Murder," Faith said.

Natalie gave her a wide-eyed look. For some reason, she reminded Faith of Willow then. Maybe it was the red hair and innocent air. "Did you do it?" she asked.

"Yep," Faith said, meeting her eyes without flinching. "I'll be here in a lot longer than a year."

"Wow, that's awful," Natalie said.

"Which part? Me being a killer or being stuck in here for the next two decades," Faith said.

"Both," Natalie said. "Was it self-defense? You don't seem like the serial killer type or anything. A bad boyfriend?"

Faith gave her an irritated look. "There's no good reason for what I did. Once, I accidentally killed someone in a fight. It messed me up in the head. I was a few years younger and dumber. Fell in with a bad dude who got me to kill for him. I betrayed my friends and royally screwed things up. I'm not a good person, so do don't go trying to make me your friend," Faith said angrily. Then she picked up her tray and left the room.

Natasha took the apple off the tray and bit into it, thinking about the slayer. She wasn't exactly what her profile said or what Natasha had expected. She should be angrier and more bitter. From what Giles told Clint, Faith came here of her own free will and stayed there under the same will. No jail could hold a slayer against her will. She might not be a threat to the human population anymore, but would she be willing to be the guardian of the hellmouth again?

The next morning, she called Clint and found out what was happening. She was so pissed! What kind of evil people tried to raise the dead, pulling heroes from their final reward?

"I'm going to get there and beat that little witch so bad she won't ever cast again!" Natasha fumed.

"Buffy would defend her. She loves her friends," Clint said. "You should see her, Nat, she's so fragile and broken. But she's alive. I have two sisters, and both are so beautiful."

"I can't wait to meet them. But you should call in some big guns to help you deal with the witch. Thor's momma is magical, right? Didn't she teach Loki?" Nat asked.

"Look how he turned out," Clint said.

"That's 'cause he wasn't an Asgard but a Frost Giant," Nat countered.

"Two minutes!" the guard told her.

"I don't have much time," Nat said.

"What's the deal with the other slayer? Can she take over here? Steve's on his way but from what the guys have told me, the slayer is hardwired to sense and kill evil beings," Clint said.

"She is a surprise. Not as angry or bitter as I figured. There's potential. I'll going to give her a day or so then ask her," Nat said.

"Be careful," Clint said, disconnecting.

Natasha hung up and took a deep breath, sinking into her role as Natalie the dance teacher. She would find out all Faith's secrets.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_I know this is super short, but there's a few more chapters to this installment. Thanks for reading. An even greater thanks if you review._


	2. An American Hero

_*****Sunnydale******_

Steve had brought a small team with him to Sunnydale, a place Fury told him contained a doorway to hell. Although Steve wasn't sure if the director was being metaphorical or not, he still warned his men to be cautious at all times. Their contact person was an Alexander Harris, a civilian who had been battling the demonic forces in the town for five years. The report said that the man had begun fighting when he was still a kid, only sixteen. That was two years younger than Steve had been when he enlisted in the Army. Steve was looking forward to meeting the man. He had begun to think that the men of this century didn't understand the concept of sacrifice and true courage. It was nice to read about kids still getting it right.

"Sir, the Magic Box is up ahead. Kind of an odd spot for a rendezvous point, huh?" Dave asked. Dave wasn't Army. He was one of Fury's guys. The director said that regular army hadn't had good experience in the town. Only one of his guys, Dominic, had any military train. Dominic had been a Navy Seal and said less than anyone Steve had ever met. Steve figured his watchful nature would do well in Sunnydale. The fourth member of their team was Kylie Canada, a female. Steve didn't know her well. However, she had a clean record and worked with Nat one more than one occasion.

Inside the Magic Box, Anya was stressing about the return of Giles.

"He left me in charge, and I have hardly got a chance to count the money!" Anya was complaining.

"An, do you think this is a good time or subject to be obsessing about? It hasn't even been two hours since Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Tara have gone! I feel like my life has been ripped away, and you're going on about money! I really don't get you sometimes," Xander said in annoyance. He had proposed to her because he loved her, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Sometimes, though, when he thought of spending his life with her, something inside him froze. Is this the life he wanted? Was he really ready to spend the entirety of his life with a former vengeance demon?

Anya gave him a hurt look. "I'm your fiancée, and I'm still here," she reminded him.

Before Xander could form a reply, the door to the shop opened. Xander did a double take. It was really him. Captain America was just five feet in front of him. Now he was three. His pulse sped up in excitement.

"Xander Harris?" Steve asked, smiling at the man at the table. Fury had supplied him with photos, so he knew both of the shop's occupants on sight.

"Uh, that's me!" Xander said, jumping to his feet. "I just can't believe you're here! It's crazy! Wow! You're a living legend, and you're in my hometown."

"Hi, I'm Anya," Anya said, moving to stand next to Xander.

Xander knew without a doubt that Anya was about to say something totally inappropriate. He gave her a look. "If you wouldn't say it to Giles, you do not say it to this man," he warned in a low voice.

"Nice to meet you," Anya said with a bright smile.

Steve held out his hand to Anya and shook it. "The pleasure is mine, ma'am," he told her. Then he held it out to Xander. "I've read your file. It sounds like you're on your way to being a legend in your own right. Working to fight evil. Stopping apocalypses. I'm very impressed."

Xander felt his face flush as a real-life superhero looked at him— _him_ —in admiration. "Well, I mostly get donuts and fix the things that get broken," he said with a wry grin.

"Except that time you stopped those zombies from blowing up the school senior year," Anya said proudly. "And it was you who came up with the plan and weapons to destroy the Judge when he was trying to end the world with Angelus and Dru your junior year. Oh, and it was your plan that blew up the high school, destroying the evil mayor who turned into a forty-foot demon!"

"Okay, Anya, he gets it," Xander said, embarrassed as the three others with Steve were looking at him in various degrees of speculation.

"You're more than a donut boy," Anya said hotly.

Xander gave her a look of thanks. Sometimes he loved her so much. No one had ever looked at him quite the way she did.

"You military trained?" a guy with Steve asked.

"That's a complicated question," Xander said with a grin.

"It is?" the one woman asked.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce my team," Steve said apologetically. "That is Kylie—the guys usually call her by her last name Canada. That's Dave and Dominic—he's a former Navy Seal."

Xander wasn't surprised that it was Dominic that had asked if he had military training. "All SHIELD agents?" he asked. When they nodded, Xander felt relieved. "I'm really glad they didn't send in the military. Last time they came here, it didn't go so well. They were all about harnessing demon power. Lots of death and mayhem was the result."

Steve looked grim. "I knew a Nazi during the war that tried that," he said. "We won't be doing that."

"Well, that's a relief," Anya said. The door to the shop opened. Spike was under his smokin' blanket.

"Oh, there's the only one left of the team," Xander said with grimace. "He's the blood sucking fiend Buffy won't let me stake."

Kylie looked alarmed. "Excuse me?"

"Relax. I'm a vampire that can't hurt humans without excruciating pain from this bloody chip in my brain," Spike said sourly as he tossed his thick blanket down. Then he looked at Captain America. "I can't believe the American Bloody Captain is here."

"That's Captain America," Anya correctly.

"You can call me Steve," he said, flashing Spike a smile. "Clint said you're good in a fight."

"Clint is pretty good himself," Spike said. "Can't believe he took my girls. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Ah, is poor Spike feeling hurt in your soulless heart?" Xander said snidely.

"I take it the two of you don't work well together?" Steve asked, frowning.

"I loathe the sight of him," Xander said honestly. "The only thing keeping him from killing us is a chip. He's not a good guy. Never forget that."

"That's right! I'm not a good guy. But at least I'm not a useless whelp like you!" Spike fumed. "I wouldn't bite you even without a chip! Your blood sucks!"

"Like I'd let you bite me!"

Kylie looked at her partner. "Are these guys for real?"

Dave snickered. "Fury said they would be unorthodox. It's like Tony and Steve," he said.

"The sun is nearly down. How about we save the bickering for when there's not work to do?" Steve suggested.

Xander gave them a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Spike and I don't see eye to eye," he said.

"You can say that again," Spike muttered. "So, do you have a run down on how to kill vamps?"

"Why don't you tell us everything we should know?" Steve suggested.

"Sunlight kills vampires, so we come out at night. Some like me, get around in daytime by avoiding direct sunlight—that's what kills us. We can't go into a private home without an invitation, but public places like businesses are fair game," Spike explained.

Xander held up a wooden stake. "Wood of any kind through the heart kills them. Wooden arrows or stakes are what we usually use," Xander said.

"Cutting off their head works, too," Anya added.

"That's basically it," Spike said. "Oh, we also avoid holy water and crosses."

"Are vampires all we should worry about?" Dave asked.

"Nah. Demons, too. Various kinds. Method of killing depends on the species," Xander said.

"Don't go killing demons without finding out if they're evil," Spike said with a glare. "A few of them are blokes of mine."

"Exactly _one_ of them is. Clem," Xander said. "We like Clem. His kind are harmless as kittens."

"Except to kittens," Anya added. The visitors looked curious, but no one asked her to explain.

"What do they look like?" Steve asked.

"Flappy skin. Kind of gross looking," Xander said.

Anya glared at him. "That's totally specists!" she said accusingly.

"Sorry, An," Xander said. "She's a former vengeance demon and sensitive about demon stereotypes."

"Some demons perform a necessary service to the community!" Anya insisted.

"You curse men who broke women's hearts, An. You didn't save puppies or orphans," Xander argued.

"How about we get this show on the road?" Dave asked, eager to fight the real-life monsters. He'd been overseas during the alien invasion and missed out. This was his chance to make a real difference.

"Let's," Xander agreed. He grabbed his favorite axe and pointed to the weapon's chest. "Help yourself to a weapon. Guns are useless. Don't bother pulling them out. All it does is piss off the vamps and demons. There's a squirt gun full of holy water—that works like acid on them. Take a cross."

"It actually works?" Dominic asked, speaking for the first time.

"It does," Anya said, pulling her favorite one from behind the counter.

Spike and Xander led them to a nearby cemetery. No action. The same with the next three. Not a vampire in sight.

Xander grew more and more alarmed. "This isn't good," he said.

"I agree," Spike said. "Something is wrong."

"Let's go talk to Willy and see what's brewing," Xander said.

"Willy?" Steve asked as they changed directions, heading back to town.

"He owns a demon bar," Spike said.

"He's a squirrelly guy, but Buffy usually got intel out of him after she slapped him around a bit," Xander said.

"He a demon?" Steve inquired.

"He looks human, but I think he's half demon or something," Xander said with a shrug.

"If you know of a bar where demons hang out, why don't you raid it and take them out?" Dominic asked. This was a strange town. The vibes were beginning to unnerve him. He could sense something was wrong, but there hadn't been any bad guys to fight. He didn't like it one bit.

"Buffy says it's good to have a neutral place to keep a pulse on the demon community. Plus, by not immediately killing them all, she curries favor with the minor demons who aren't bent on world endage," Xander explained.

Steve nodded, seeing the wisdom in her decision. "I can get that," he said.

Xander opened the bar door, and they all walked into the darker interior.

Steve and his team all were noticeably taken aback by the strange creatures in the bar. A few looked human. Steve figured that those were the vampires.

"That guy has testicles coming down from his face," Dave whispered, trying to hold back his horror.

"That guy is blue," Kylie said in fascination. She wasn't freaked like Dave.

Xander looked at the Navy Seal, whose stoic expression made Xander grin. The guy was one tough cookie.

"Hey, Willy, old pal," Xander said with Willy spotted him.

"Oh, it's the friends of the slayer," Willy said too loudly. A few vampires immediately got up and left.

Steve smiled. Clint's sister's reputation must be incredible that just mentioning her name caused monsters to run away.

"Willy, I was hoping you could tell me and my new friends something," Xander said, leaning onto the bar.

"Anything for you, Xander," Willy said brightly. He eyed the very tall, formidable looking man wearing a shield with Xander. It occurred to him that the man looked familiar. Then he shrugged.

"So, I was out showing the guys a few of the cemeteries we have in town, and I couldn't help but notice the lack of vamp action," Xander said. "What's going on? Where's all the vampires? Did someone organize a vampire convention and forget to invite Spike?"

"There's a little rumor going around that I know isn't true. I told the guys it was bullshit, and they could fall for it if they wanted. It was their undead life," Willy said earnestly.

"A rumor?" Anya asked, brightening at the thought of some good gossip.

"There was some human in here earlier saying that the Slayer left town. Andrew was his name," Willy said.

"Damn, word's already out?" Xander grumbled.

Willy's eyes widened. "So it's true? Buffy's gone?" He asked excitedly.

"Don't be too happy. Another one—Faith is probably coming back. In the meantime, me and the guys here will be keeping everyone in check," Xander said, gesturing to Steve and his team.

Willy eyes them with interest. They did look formidable. "You guys are welcome here anytime," he said, giving them a friendly smile. "Any friend of the slayer is—well, not a friend of mine, but I want to stay open."

"If that's the case, tell us why the cemeteries are so dead. Where are all the vamps?" Xander asked.

"I think one of Spike's old gang from his Harmony days is trying to form some vampire coalition."

Xander winced. This wasn't good. "Buffy isn't the only threat to the vampire population. Get the word out," Xander said, pointing to Steve. "We have Captain America in town now. Uncle Sam has decided to send his best soldier to put a beat down on the demon population in town, so any shenanigans needs to stop."

"Which guy is it?" Spike asked Willy. "If it's Doug, I'm going to rip off the poser's head!"

"It's Tom," Willy said.

Spike relaxed. "Oh, that's fine then. Tom's got a brain and guts," he said. Then he looked at Xander as he realized what that meant. "Oh, we might have a problem."

***** _To Be Continued*****_

_I've taken away Warren and Willow, so there's no real big bad from season six. That means I get to be a bit more creative. The team with Steve is not based on any Marvel character(s) or team from the movie. I just created them since the only two guys with names from the Captain America Winter Soldier movie ended up betraying him. I hope you enjoy this. Next chapter: Back to Faith_


	3. Cellmate Confessions

***** _Back in the Prison*****_

Natasha watched Faith, trying to figure her out. This was her second day in prison with the fallen slayer. After morning chores, Faith led her to the rec room where there were a few board games. They were currently playing a game of chess—a game that Natasha excelled at. It was a surprise to discover that Faith was also very good at the game.

"You're quite good," Natasha said, moving a piece. "Been playing long?"

"Not really. Never played at all before I got here. Strategy was never my thing. It was B's. I'm all about the moment," Faith said with a shrug. "My old cellmate taught me the moves to this game, and we played a few times."

Natasha was impressed. She was a master at all games of strategy and yet—

"Check," Faith said with a grin.

Natasha moved her rook. Then Faith moved her knight.

"That's check mate," Faith said smugly.

"I'm impressed. I've been playing this game with very good opponents since I was a child. I'm rarely beat," Natasha said. "Never so quickly." In fact, Natasha could count on one hand the number of times she'd been beaten.

"Lucky game. No biggie," Faith said with a shrug.

"So who is this Bee?" Natasha asked, as they put up the pieces.

"This girl I used to know. B stands for her name, Buffy. She tried to be my friend, and I betrayed her in every way possible," Faith said grimly.

"Maybe if you get out of here, you can make it up to her," Natasha said with a bright smile.

Faith snorted. "Not likely. Not only am I in here for like twenty years, but I poisoned her boyfriend. Then we threw down, and she put me in a coma. Then I slept with her new boyfriend," Faith said, looking shamefaced. "Not my finest moment."

"Oh, wow!" Natasha as Natalie said. "That's pretty intense."

"Yea," Faith said, putting the top on the game. "There's some things a person can't undo. Some sins that can never be atoned for."

"But what if you could? Would you want to?" Natalie asked her.

Faith looked at her a long moment. Then she nodded. "Yea, I would," she said. "You know that boyfriend I said I poisoned?" Natalie nodded. "Well, he's the reason I'm here."

"He turned you in?" Natalie asked.

"No. Angel—that's his name—saved my soul and my life," Faith said. "He became the best friend I ever had—ironically enough. He even visits me here. The only one that gives a damn about me."

"Really? That's amazing. So he forgave you?"

"He not only forgave me, he wasn't even mad," Faith said in bemusement. "He's that kind of guy. He says he has more sins than I do to atone for. He gets it. Ironic, huh? The one guy B loved enough to kill me over is the same guy who saved me."

Natasha had a short history of the vampire with a soul. The slayer's friends talked a hell of lot. Clint wrote it all down. She would like to meet this Angel guy someday. She could sense the deep impact he'd had on Faith. Was it enough?

"Do you think your former friend could ever forgive you?"

"Not likely. She died a few months ago," Faith said, a look of real regret on her face.

Natasha considered things as they walked back to their cell. Once they were inside, she sat down in the lone chair. "Have a seat, Faith. I need to talk to you about something," she said, coming to a decision.

Faith sat on the bottom bunk and gave her cellmate a curious look. "This seems serious. I don't know if you've been here long enough to give me a serious talking to," Faith said with a snicker.

"Yeah, well, the thing is, I'm not really a prisoner here," Natasha said. "And my name isn't Natalie. It's Natasha. I work for a government agency that's in charge of national security. I'm here undercover to check you out and determine your stability and a few other things."

Faith immediately lost her friendly smile and gave Natasha a cold look as she stood up. "What the hell kind of game are you playing at?" she demanded, automatically going into a fighting stance.

"No game. I'm here to see if you could be useful back in Sunnydale, fulfilling your calling," Natasha said frankly.

Faith was more than surprised. "You know about things that go bump in the night?" she asked.

Natasha nodded. "I do. I'm Russian. Not much surprises me, but I was surprised to learn that my partner and best friend has two sisters. Girls you know. Buffy and Dawn Summers," she said.

"No shitting?"

"No shitting."

"So you know about slaying and B and me?"

"I do. More importantly, you need to know that Buffy isn't dead any longer," she shared.

Faith sat back down. This was too much to process. "Wait, you're joking? How is Buffy alive? She died back in May. It's almost November," she said.

"Her witch friend Willow raised her from the dead," Natasha shared.

"Red did that? Wow! I can't believe that Angel hasn't told me," she said in disgust. "I can't believe I didn't dream about it."

Natasha looked surprised. "You have prophetic dreams?"

"Sometimes. It's part of the slayer package," Faith said. "Slayers are all connected on a mystical level." It bothered her that she hadn't felt Buffy's resurrection. She sure as hell had felt her death. There connection seemed to be severed for real. It saddened her to think that Buffy's resurrection hadn't reconnected them.

"Don't be mad at your Angel friend. Buffy's only been back a few days. I don't even know if he's aware yet," Natasha added. "I was sent here as soon as my boss got briefed fully on the hellmouth and what's been going on. Buffy died saving her sister from a hellgod named Glory."

"This is just so incredible. How did Red do it?" Faith asked.

"I have no idea. I just know that Clint, Buffy's brother, is pissed and removed Willow from Sunnydale until he feels she's no longer a threat. And he took his sisters home with him," she shared.

Faith was even more surprised. "Buffy left the hellmouth?" she asked.

Natasha nodded. "Her friends didn't pull her out of hell. They jerked her out of heaven, and she's a bit messed up," Natasha shared.

The hits kept coming, and Faith was speechless. Then she started pacing. "Oh, God! That's some fucked up shit. I can't believe it! Wow! Poor B! I bet she was pissed. I'd be pissed," she said.

"I don't think she was. Clint said she knew that her friends' hearts were in the right place. I guess a few of the others helped her work the spell," Natasha said.

"Not Giles. There's no way in hell that Giles would be on board with that," she said.

"No. He was in England. He's back in the states meeting with my boss today—or will be," Natasha shared. Normally, she wouldn't be so open. However, she sensed that this slayer would be able to tell if she was holding back. Natasha needed her trust. Things would just be easier if she had it.

"So what happens next? Without Buffy in Sunnydale or Willow, things will get grim," Faith said.

"That depends on you. For now, Captain America and a small team are there. Iron Man will be there at times. Now that SHIELD and my boss know about the threat the place poses, we won't be leaving it strictly to a few untrained civilians," she said.

Faith snorted. "Like the military knows what to do with vampires and demons," she said.

"Maybe not. But there's not much the Avengers can't handle," she said pointedly.

Faith sat up straight as something occurred to her. "That's who you are? You're an Avenger! The female member—the Black Widow! Fucking A! I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down!" Natasha admonished.

"So the superheroes are going to take over the hellmouth? I guess you can do it," she said.

"Probably. But that's a huge commitment, and we have other things to focus on. We need to be free to handle global threats," Natasha said. "It would be better if a slayer like yourself was there."

Faith was genuinely surprised. "Me? But I'm here! I've got like two decades for murder, remember?"

"That's the thing, Faith. You being here isn't the best use of your talents," Natasha said. "Don't you think guarding the hellmouth, fulfilling your calling is a better use of your time?"

"Probably," Faith said, playing it cool. Her mind was having trouble processing all the changes that were happening in the past twenty minutes. Buffy was alive. Willow pulled her out of heaven. Willow was taken from the hellmouth as a form of punishment. Buffy's brother was an Avenger. An Avenger was her cellmate. She could be free. For a full minute, hope blossomed inside of her. Then it died.

She was nothing but a screw up. She'd betrayed her calling, hurt people who were good to her. Joined the bad guys. Tortured Wesley.

"God, I'm not good for anything!" she said, standing and turning away from Natasha. The weight of her sins had never felt heavier.

Natasha was surprised by the slayers abrupt turn. She expected the girl to try to convince Natasha she was the only one who could handle the job.

"Why do you think that? You're obviously good at killing," she said.

"A slayer isn't a killer! At least she's not supposed to be," Faith said bitterly. "I killed a man on accident the first time—mistook him for a vampire."

"Death by friendly fire is way too common in war," Natasha said. "It's understandable."

"It messed me up. First, I tried to blame it on Buffy. Then the Council tried to arrest me and take me back to England over one bloody mistake. It broke something inside of me," Faith said. "I actually thought going to the Mayor was a good idea. I killed a man for him. A decent man who didn't have to be killed. I just had to take something he had. But I was in such a dark place. It was like I wanted to see how bad I could be. When I woke up from my coma and stole Buffy's body and slept with her boyfriend, I got a taste of what it was like to be loved. For just a short time, everyone in her life really believed I was she. Her boyfriend didn't want to just fuck her. He wanted to hold her. Her amazing mother—it was all too much. I realized how much I came up short even in her body. I can never be her."

"I don't think anyone expects you to be," Natasha said, not unkindly. She had heard from Clint how amazing his sister was, the things she could do. In comparison, Natasha would probably come up short herself. "From what I've heard, Buffy Summers has no equal. Don't try to be her. Be the best version of yourself you can be."

"I tortured my Watcher! Wesley tried to help me in L. A. He wanted to make amends for sucking as my Watcher in Sunnydale. I tortured him! What kind of monster does that?" Faith asked, stricken by the memory.

"A pretty messed up one," Natasha said. "The fact that you feel real remorse proves you aren't a sociopath. You won't be alone there. It won't be all up to you. You'll be monitored. Have the support you need. Every day that you go out and prove that you are willing to fulfill your calling is a day that shows my boss you can be trusted. Eventually, you'll earn your freedom in a lot less than twenty years."

Faith considered her words. Then she thought about Buffy. If Buffy was messed up over her death and resurrection, she didn't need to be called back to the hellmouth. Faith should do what she could to help keep Buffy's burden light—it was the least she could.

"Okay," she said. "I'll do it."

"Good," Natasha said. "You'll have a life again."

"I'm not doing it for that. I don't deserve much," Faith said. "But if I can help ease B's burden by doing this, I will. I owe her that."

Natasha respected that. She pulled her sock down and peeled back the fake skin that covered it. Then she pulled out Tony's transmitter. "I'll let me boss know," she told Faith as she pushed the tiny bottom to set it off.

Faith looked incredulous. She had a feeling that things in Sunnydale would be very different.

***** _Chapter End*****_

_Review, PLEASE! Thanks!_


	4. A Return to the Hellmouth

_*****Two Days Later*****_

Steve and the team came back to the Magic Box warily. Spike's ex-minion had managed to allude them for two days. Yesterday, they'd cornered his group and had managed to take out more than half. The element of surprise was on their side. However, the leader had gotten away. Tonight, they'd managed to track him down.

"Glad we finally got that bloody bastard!" Spike said elated. "Thanks for letting me take him out." He said this to Steve, who had cornered the would-be leader.

"No problem," Steve said, giving the vampire a friendly smile. He'd killed several vampires already—dusted them was the word Xander used. It was a bit odd to be working with one, but as long as Spike was playing for his side, Steve had no problem with him. He understood, though, Xander's distrust. Having grown up on the hellmouth, Xander needed to keep his evil and good in clear lines. Spike may be a soulless fiend—it wasn't Steve's place to judge. As long as Spike kept fighting the good fight and didn't betray them to enemies, Steve would give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Killing vampires is so much nicer than killing demons," Canada said with a wrinkle of her nose. A few demons had been working with the vampire gang. The dismemberment—Xander called it slicing and dicing—was gruesome.

"Yeah, killing demons can get messy," Anya said in the too casual manner she had. "A good evisceration can work hell on the clothes. Buffy used to complain about it a lot. She loved clothes."

"Loves, Anya. She's alive now," Xander corrected.

"Death and life take on a whole new meaning in this town," Dave said in bemusement.

"That's true," Xander acknowledged. The past few days had been so surreal. First, Buffy's resurrection. Meeting Thor and Iron Man. Willow and Tara leaving with Thor. Then Captain America, his favorite superhero was in town. Xander had always liked the old Captain American comics because he was just a regular guy, who became extraordinary. Spending time with him the past two days had been amazing. Steve didn't treat Xander like he was less or that he needed to be protected. It was an incredible feeling to be treated as an equal by a guy like him. He even looked to Xander for advice. He had Dominic work on his fighting skills. Canada worked on his fitness. Dave trained him on weapons. Every minute that Xander wasn't as his money paying job, he was training. It was great!

Anya checked the shop's voicemail. "Darn!" She pouted. "Giles is coming back! I need more time with the money!"

"We talked about this, Anya. Giles pays you money to work here, but the place is his," Xander told her patiently.

Steve smiled at the couple. Xander was very patient with his girl. She was odd like Steve and didn't always get references. Steve felt a kinship with her even as he didn't understand how she was a thousand years old and newly human. Xander tried to explain it, but Steve felt that it was mostly above his pay grade.

The door to the shop opened, and everyone looked up. Faith was nervous as six pairs of eyes—only one did she really know—looked at her.

"Hey, Captain," Natasha said, strutting in like she owned the place.

Faith had soon realized that Natasha had the confidence Faith herself always pretended to have. She wasn't sure she exactly trusted the Black Widow, but she had been true to her word. Two days after Faith agreed to return to slaying in good ole' SunnyD, she was officially released.

"It's good to have you here," Steve said, holding out his hand to Natasha, who took it.

"Captain, this here is Faith, the Slayer," Natasha introduced.

Faith was a bit star struck as Captain-Fucking-America shook her hand. In a daze, she shook it.

"Glad to meet you," Steve said, giving her a welcoming smile. The girl was beautiful and looked too wary for someone so young.

For some odd reason, Faith believed him. She looked around the room and gave Xander a tight smile. "Xan," she said.

"Faith," Xander acknowledged without any of Steve's warmth. "This is Anya, my girlfriend."

"Fiancée," Anya was quick to correct.

"Really?" Faith said with a grin. "Ready to take on an old ball and chain, huh?"

"I can't recall if you two met back when you were, you know, stealing Buffy's body and sleeping with her boyfriend," Xander said pointedly.

Steve gave Xander a hard look. "There will be no rehashing of past ills. The Slayer screwed up—badly. We all know that and have read the file. She is here to make amends. We're going to let her. Is that clear?" Steve said.

Faith's eyes widened as the greatest American soldier took up for her. Was this some kind of hokey spell she was under? Would she wake up back in her cell and discover it was all a dream after all?

Xander flushed, upset to be reprimanded by his hero. The soldier in him, however, immediately submitted to the leader's orders, nodding. "Got it, Captain," he said.

"Faith, meet me team," Steve introduced. "That's Dave, Dominic, and Canada." They all greeted her.

"So, how's it been going?" Natasha asked curiously.

"We've been busy," Steve replied.

Dave snickered. "That's an understatement. This place is cooler than shit. Something to kill as soon as the sun goes down!" he bragged. "The people in this town are so oblivious!"

"Actually, there used to be a very powerful warlock that was mayor for like a hundred years. I think he did a spell that helps the populace not flee in fear or notice what's happening," Xander said, unable to refrain from looking at Faith. "When we killed him, we thought it would wear off. It hasn't."

"Probably because he anchored in a talisman of some kind," Anya said. "Destroy that, and everyone probably would flee."

"How about we not?" Steve suggested. "We don't need to frighten the populace."

"Where's Giles and Red?" Faith asked.

"Giles should be here tomorrow," Xander said. "Willow got taken to task by Buffy's big brother, Hawkeye—did she tell you?" Xander gave Natasha a questioning look.

"Not everything," Natasha said.

"Her brother was really pissed at us for raising Buffy from the dead," Xander said.

"Yeah, she told me that part. She was actually in heaven?" Faith asked, a note of awe and envy in her voice.

"She died saving the world. She should be in heaven," Steve said, frowning. This entire raising someone from the dead disturbed him. He felt like he was back from the dead because he lost so much time. Unlike Clint's sister, though, Steve hadn't been anywhere. It was just like he was asleep for ninety years.

"Clint said that Willow is dangerous and out of control," Xander said, his disapproval of Clint's evaluation obvious. "He called this guy he knows—Thor, the god of thunder."

"No shit?" Faith asked.

"Yep. He came out of the sky in Buffy's backyard," Xander said.

"He is a flawless example of primal sexuality," Anya said with a dreamy smile.

Xander nodded. "He is pretty awe-inspiring. He took Willow to Asgard. Will's girlfriend Tara went with her," Xander said.

"Why? Buffy just let him take Red?" Faith asked in surprise. That didn't sound like Buffy. She was very loyal to her friends even if they were in the wrong. "Is she that pissed?"

Xander shook his head. "No, but she is a bit out of it. I think it's hard for her. She trusted Clint. Clint said that Thor's parents could help Willow. They know magic."

Faith nodded, trying to take it all in. Things were very different. "So where will I be staying?" she asked Natasha.

Natasha looked at Steve.

"There's an apartment building not far from where. I rented out eight apartments—two spares. I figure some of the team will eventually show here or more agents," Steve said.

"That's good. Any work to do tonight?" Natasha asked.

"Nope. We cleared out the last of it a bit earlier," Steve said.

"What about him? He's a vampire," Faith said, pointing to Spike who had been lounging on the stairs on the other side of the room watching the exchange without comment.

"He's a member of the team," Steve said firmly.

Spike grinned. "I'm a member!" he said smugly.

Faith snickered. "I guess B really did tame the beast. Did you get a soul yet, too?" Faith asked coyly.

Spike stood up glaring. "I'm nothing like Peaches! Mr. Broods-A-Lot is a wanker!" Spike exclaimed, insulted.

Xander laughed. "Gotta agree with Spike there," Xander said.

Faith gave them a cold look. "Angel's the best friend I've ever had. Bad mouth him again and some bones are going to break," she warned.

Xander looked surprised. "Since when did you and Angel become pals? Last time you were here, you put a poisoned arrow in him, and he almost died," he said.

"Yea, well, that's ancient history," Faith said. "He got over it and saved me. He's the only one who's ever given a damn about me. I didn't see any of you visiting me in prison or putting money on my books. You think a slayer can stay fed on the crap they feed you in there?"

Xander frowned, not liking the guilty feeling Faith was making him feel. However, he would go down swinging. "Guess you shouldn't have went dark and started with the murder, huh?" he taunted.

"Okay, knock it off," Steve said. "Let's call it a night. Tomorrow, Faith, I'd like to see you train. See what you can do. I've yet to meet the other slayer, so I need to know what I'm working with."

"Sure thing," Faith said, giving him a careless smile. Inside, though, she was excited to know that with this group, there would be no Buffy comparisons. She would be the one they knew. It really was like she was starting over. She was determined to not screw it up.

***** _The Next Day*****_

The apartment Faith was given had no furniture in it, so they went to the local Target and bought a few air mattresses, bedding, and some essentials. Natasha said that she had an expense card from her boss. They'd go shopping the next day. It was no big deal to Faith. She had made do with a lot less.

For the first time in two years, Faith woke up after the sun rose. The air mattress was not bad at all—better than her bunk at jail. Natasha got her a few sets of workout clothes, and a decent pair of tennis shoes to get around in. They would hit the mall later today. Faith couldn't help but be a bit excited. She couldn't remember the last time she went shopping.

After she got out of the shower, a knock on the door brought her out of the bathroom. She had one of the four towels that Natasha had bought the night before wrapped around her.

She unlocked the door and swung it open. Steve Rogers stood there. He glanced at her near naked form in dismay. "Oh, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, his eyes widened as he took in her appearance. He quickly turned around.

Faith grinned. "I just got out of the shower. Come on in," she said, stepping back.

"I'll wait until you get dressed," he said, still not looking at her.

"Suit yourself," she said. "I won't be long."

Steve's face was flushed red in embarrassment. Natasha was bold, but he had never caught her in a state of undress before. This slayer reminded him a bit of the Black Widow, yet Steve sensed there was a hidden vulnerability to the younger woman. It was five minutes before or so when she came back to the door.

"Okay, it's safe to look," Faith said, amusement in her voice.

Steve turned back to find her wet hair in a ponytail and her wearing shorts and a t-shirt. "Sorry about that," he said.

"No harm, no foul," she said with a shrug. "I'm not particularly modest. I realize that since you were born in, like, the thirties, you're probably a bit old school."

Steve nodded, looking sheepish. "Yes, I try not to violate anyone's privacy. It's probably best if you don't open the door in a towel. Just keep the chain on and tell me what's going on," he said.

Faith chuckled. "I can do that. Are we ready to get started?" he asked.

"How about some breakfast?" he asked.

"Sure. Is Natasha joining us?" she asked.

"No. She is getting showed around by Canada. I think she said she'd order some furniture for the two of you. That's okay?" Steve asked.

"Fine with me. I'm not picky," Faith said with a shrug. "Anything's better than jail."

"I can imagine," Steve said.

Ten minutes later, they were at a nearby diner that Faith had never been to before, ordering breakfast.

After they gave their orders to the waitress, Faith looked around. "I've never been here," she said.

"You lived here a while?" Steve asked.

"About a year," she said. "Late nights slaying and patrolling kept me from most breakfast places."

"Makes sense," he said. "This kind of diner reminds me of home."

Faith nodded. "I can see that," she said. She was working her to contain her nerves. Here she was a convicted murderer having breakfast with a living legend. He wasn't looking at her like she was a monster or even skeptical. It was hard to wrap her mind around all the changes in her circumstances in such a short time.

Their food came after some idle chit-chat. He talked about his time in the War. His best friend Bucky, who was lost in the fighting.

Finally, Faith had to say something. "So give it to me straight, Captain. What do you expect from me? What's my limitations and restraints?" she asked.

Steve wiped his face and put down his fork. "Before you left prison, you drank a water that had a GPS tracker in it. A kind that you won't piss out. If you run off, we will find you. Then you'll be back in prison," he said.

"Seriously? I've been low-jacked?" Faith asked, angry at the invasion of her body.

"All of us have some type of GPS on us in case we're captured by the enemy," Steve said. "Natasha wasn't sure of your willingness, so she didn't ask."

"The bitch," Faith muttered in annoyance. She should know better than to trust anyone.

"Don't be upset with Nat. She just expects the worse from everyone," Steve said. "As for my expectations, I hope you'll work with us to keep this hellmouth contained. I can't stay here permanently. Neither can Natasha. My team will, though. It's important that you assess their strengths and weaknesses and figure out how best to use them."

"I'll get to do that?" she asked, surprised.

"When I'm not here, you'll be in charge with Mr. Giles overseeing everything," Steve said. "You're the slayer. I've read your file. You made some bad choices and took orders from a man who wanted to enslave or eat people."

"He cared about me," Faith said quietly, looking away.

Steve nodded. It was what he suspected. She had been a young girl looking for affection and preyed upon by someone older who knew how to manipulate someone with her vulnerabilities.

"I hope you learned from what happened here before," Steve said. "I don't want to rehash it or point fingers. I know you and Xander have a history. It'll take some time to get past it. But he's a crucial member of the team. My team is working on training him to be an even greater asset. Xander has done so much without any formal training—it's impressive. You can make it up to him by showing up each day and going to work. Keep it as impersonal as you can until he's willing to let it go."

"So just go to work?" Faith as in surprise. Was this guy for real? It couldn't be that easy.

Steve saw her look of suspicion and smiled reassuringly. "It is exactly what I've said. I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to," he told her.

"Just like that?" she asked skeptically.

"Just like that," he replied. "Sometimes you just gotta have faith, Faith."

Faith rolled her eyes.

Steve laughed. "I had to say it at least once," he insisted.

She smiled to let him know he was forgiven for being lame. "I'm ready to get started," she said.

"Did the waffle, bacon, eggs, and biscuit and gravy fill you up?" he asked, grinning at her.

"Hey, you're the last one who should criticize how much someone eats!" she said. "You ate even more than me!"

Steve gave their server some money as they stood up to go. "I burn a lot of fuel," he said.

"I can relate," Faith said, following him out the door.

"Let's go work off some calories," he said.

Faith walked next to him down the street, feeling better than she had in a long time. She was back on the hellmouth and life was looking good.

***** _The End*****_

_Please take a minute to give me a final review. More to come!_


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